Olympians Goucher, Abdirahman to Run at U.S. Half Marathon Championships
A pair of U.S. Olympians, including a Duluth native, are coming to the Twin Ports as part of their preparations for the London Games.
Kara Goucher and Abdi Abdirahman have registered for the 2012 U.S. Half Marathon Championships, to be held June 16th as part of Grandma's Marathon weekend.
Goucher and Abdirahman earned their spots on the Olympic Marathon team with top three finishes at January's Olympic Trials in Houston. Both placed third in their respective genders, Abdirahman in 2:09:47, Goucher in 2:26:06.
The London Games will be Abdirahman's fourth Olympics. He raced the 10,000 meters in 2000, 2004, and 2008. Goucher, a Duluth East High School graduate, ran the 5,000 and 10,000 meters four years ago.
“We are extremely honored to have Kara and Abdi as part of the elite group coming to Duluth for this event. With the Olympic marathon races set for August, the timing is ideal,” said Scott Keenan, executive director of Grandma’s Marathon. “We expect to add many more quality runners in the coming weeks.”
